Hero of the Day
by Narfec
Summary: Two years after Unveiling, Bruce and Diana are getting married. However, the happy life that they've begun to build is interrupted by a horrific tragedy and the arrival of a new band of heroes claiming to be the next generation of the Justice League.
1. I Want to Break Free

"This is a bad idea, I'm telling you."

Three enormous men wearing fine black suits strolled down the halls of the intensive treatment facility of Arkham Asylum, the man in the lead consulting a patient roster to find the room they were looking for. All three men were bald and wearing mirrored sunglasses; as a matter of fact, they were nearly indestinguishable aside from their demeanors. The first man simply looked disinterested as he led his comrades deep into the bowels of the facility. The same couldn't be said at all for the second man- he was peering over his shoulder every few seconds, jumping whenever one of the lunatics in the cells made a sudden movement. The third man was following at a distance, evidently taking his time to appreciate the spectacle that the inmates provided.

"Oh, shut up." The first man said to his nervous companion. "It'll be a piece of cake. We get him out, take him the boss, job done. Easy payday. Routine stuff."

The second man shook his head furiously. "Not this guy. He's a complete nut."

"We're in an asylum, dumbass. They're all nuts." The third man cut in from the back. "And they're all behind bars and in straight Jackets."

"I dunno..." The second man continued. "Haven't you heard the stories? I heard about what he did to the last guy who sprung him. Killed him. For no reason."

The first man groaned in exasperation. "Look. The Boss isn't worried, so you shouldn't be either."

"Yeah, but what if the Boss is-"

"Shut. The Hell. Up." The first man growled, whirling around to face his reluctant companion. "You can come with us, get the mark, go back to the Boss, and get a nice, fat payoff. Or you can chicken out now and wake up in the middle of the Gobi Desert tomorrow. I don't care what the fuck you do. Just Shut. Up." He whirled around again and once again began to lead his partners toward their destination. The second man knew enough to keep his mouth shut, but he still couldn't prepare himself for what was waiting for them.

Finally the trio turned around a corner and found themselves facing an enormous iron door with a tiny barred window. The first man was just about to knock on the door, when a face appeared out of nowhere in the window, causing the second man to jump in surprise. "Calm the Hell down, will you?" The third man hissed, smacking his partner over the head.

The second man gulped and forced himself to look ahead at the face; it was as pale as snow, except for the lips, which were an awful bloody red as though he'd chewed them to pieces. His hair was a dark green, and his eyes, which were fixed firmly on the second man, were a terrible yellow, like those of a hungry wolf.

"House-guests!" The Joker shouted. "You wouldn't believe how long it's been since I've had a visitor! Well... The Bat stops by every now and then to make sure that I'm still locked up tight in here, but he's an absolutely _dreadful_ conversation partner. I feel so terrible talking about myself all the time... But where are my manners?" The clown eyed his guests as a hawk might survey its prey. "Please, come in."

The first man withdrew a slip of paper, and began to enter the immensely long password required to open the cell door. He took the first few steps in, completely unaware of the horrible mistake that he was making.

The Joker's arms were firmly wrapped in placed by a straitjacket, and the room was completely bare with the exception of padded foam on the walls and ceiling. "I'm afraid the décor isn't much," the Joker said apologetically, "but I've found that it's rather me. Now... Down to brass tacks. What can I do for you fine gentlemen? I happen to know that it's just about impossible to get this far down here without either wearing a cape or a gun. So I take it you're hear for business?"

"Our boss would like to... Ahem... _Meet_ with you." The first man said. "And possibly strike some sort of 'business deal.' He'd like to talk to you in person to work out an arrangement that could accommodate you."

"Aha!" The Joker exclaimed. "A slumber party! Just give me a moment to get my things! Oh... Right. I don't have any things. Well, carry on then!" The first and third men approached him.. The two men grabbed an arm each and began to frogmarch the clown from his cell. On his way out, the Joker stopped to get a closer look at the second man.

"You look pretty scared." He remarked casually. "Don't be, I don't bite! Well... Sometimes I do. But don't worry, you'll be too dead to notice at that point anyway. Carry on!" The first and third men snickered at the mortified look on their partners face as the left the room. Thanks to the legwork that the boss had done in advance, they were easily able to avoid the security detail and back out to the front gate, where a long black limousine awaited.

"Now we're talking, baby!" The Joker said as his escorts jammed him in between them, and the second man took a seat facing him. "I do love traveling in style. So... Where are we headed, boys?"

"You'll find out when we get there."

"Ah, a surprise!" The Joker giggled. "You sure know how to pull my strings... Speaking of which..." He gestured at the back of his jacket with his chin. "Would you mind getting this blasted thing off me?"

The third was about to remove the straitjacket, when the first stopped him.

"Actually, that can stay."

"Don't trust me?" The Joker chuckled. "I wouldn't either, given the choice... Not that it'll do you much good anyway..." He finished under his breath.

"Whattid you just- WHAT THE FU- ARH!"

Before he'd had time to react, the Joker's straightjacket had fallen to the floor, revealing a small paring knife in one of his hands. In one swift motion, he'd slit the throats of the men on either side of him, stolen the first man's pistol and was pointing at the second man with his knife, and the driver with the gun."

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to find mule willing to get a knife into a maximum security asylum?" The Joker asked. "I'll tell you, it's damn hard, and it involves bleeding in places that you don't even want to imagine. Not enjoying that thought? Pity, 'cause it'll probably be your last. If I were you, I might take a moment to try and think about my family before- oops, too late." And with that, the second man had gone the way of his associates.

"Ah, how I detest violence..." He muttered to the driver before slapping himself on the forehead and cackling. "Couldn't pull that one off with a straight face... Gets me every time." He wiped a tear from his eye. Just count yourself lucky that I'm still curious about who wants to meet me, and I need you to get me there. So keep going, and you might just live until tomorrow," He sneered. "Although, I wouldn't bet on it. And _definitely_ not past tomorrow."

The driver stared straight ahead at the road, not daring to speak for fear of setting his passenger off. He stuck to his instructed course; no one had mentioned any contingencies for homicidal maniacs getting loose in the limo. Fortunately, the destination wasn't far. The driver parked, and meekly sank back into his seat. The Joker casually settled himself, knife in hand and ready to pounce. He saw the shadow of a tall man reaching down to open the door, but he couldn't see the face from his current angle. He waited for the door to begin to open and sprung into action. He threw the door open from the inside, knocking the tall man to the ground. Without hesitation, the Joker leapt out of the car and plunged his knife deep into the man's chest.

He turned to leave, before something about the man caught his attention. "Hmm... Oh, my... This is certainly an interesting development..." The Joker grinned as he surveyed his victim.

Author's Note: Huh. I wonder what all that was about?

This was supposed to be up earlier today, but I had stuff. First, I moved some books to the new library. Then I had a haircut. _Then_ I had to restore the honor of the Thieve's Guild and play a drinking game to get an enchanted staff. So yeah, it's been one of _those_ days. Hopefully I can get a bit more work done tomorrow.

Anyway, next time we'll be checking up on Bruce and Diana, whom I kind of left hanging at the end of the last story. Of course, I have several scenarios about what they could be doing, so it might take a bit of time to figure out. Two days, maybe? Who knows. I guess it depends on the reaction to this. By the way, is anybody else having trouble with the site? My messaging, email, and traffic counter are all way off today. Ah, well. Nothing for it, I guess.


	2. Landslide

Author's Note: I think I might try a slightly different writer's voice a bit on this one, just to keep things fresh. Maybe a bit of fourth wall breakage.

Diana stared out the window of the parlor of Wayne Manor, but saw nothing of the beautiful sunset outside. Anyone looking at her would have thought that she was feeling depressed, when in fact, she felt more content than she had since she'd left Paradise Island. But as is often the case in this world, her happiness was tainted by feeling that something was wrong. She'd just gotten off the phone with the caterer for her wedding (_'My wedding...'_ She thought to herself, noticing how strange the words sounded), who had informed her that everything was being handled, and that everything was going according to plan. Everyone who had been paid to help with the wedding said the same, as nobody was eager to upset one of the richest men on the planet (although, as it happens, they may have had more to fear from his bride). By all accounts, the wedding would be perfect... Everything except for one thing.

Diana was so deep in thought that she barely even noticed the voices coming from Bruce's study down the hall.

"Don't forget, I need that info planted by tonight." Bruce was saying to his sidekick-turned-information-broker, Barbara Gordon. "Things could get messy if I go to deliver the weapons and my criminal record isn't there."

"I know, Bruce. Don't worry, I'll handle it." The redhead was saying. She had a petite appearance that was amplified by the fact that she was speaking from a wheelchair.

"You sure you have all the information down right?"

Barbara sighed in exasperation. "I don't forget anything. Alias Daniel 'Danny' Ward, Ex-Marine, dishonorable discharge for methamphetamine possession and abuse of firearms. Did a short sentence at the Marine Corp Brig at Quantico. Happy?"

"Close enough." He turned around to head back to his study. "Get it done, Babs."

"A 'thank you' wouldn't go amiss..." She muttered as she wheeled her way to the front door, being sure to be quiet enough that he wouldn't hear her. As she passed the entrance to the parlor, she stopped. "Hey, Diana. Is everything alright?" She asked, noticing her preoccupied expression.

"Mm?" Diana murmured, shaking herself out of her reverie. "Oh... Hello, Barbara. I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You look a little bit troubled. Are you nervous?"

"No, it's not that." Diana said truthfully. She had no qualms about getting married.

"Are you sure? It's a big deal, you know."

"It's not that... Not exactly anyway. What does Bruce have you doing for him?"

Barbara rolled her eyes. "Hacking government mainframes to plant false records. He's found a group trying to buy black market weapons. Personally, I think they're just some third rate gang looking to get a bit of credibility through firepower, but Bruce thinks that there's a chance that they might be a radical militia group. He's setting up a sting; he wants me to set him up with a criminal record in case they check him out when he approaches them in a couple of days. It's no bid deal, really. I have time to talk, if you want."

Diana smiled appreciatively. "I've thought long and hard about this, and I'm sure that I'm ready for this, and I'm sure that Bruce feels the same."

"Then what's the problem?"

"It's just that... That I..." Diana fidgeted uncomfortably. "I never told my mother."

"Ohhh..." Barbara gasped quietly. "Why not? Don't you think that she'll be happy?"

"I don't know." Diana said sadly. "I'd hope so, but it's... Complicated."

Barbara furrowed her brow. "How is it complicated? She's your mother, and she should be happy for you."

"I wish that that was all that there was to it." Diana turned to look out the window again. "Marriage would be a contract with man's world; a contract that would effectively forfeit my status as one of the Amazons of Themyscira, and tie me to a mortal life man's world."

Barbara's eyes widened as she realized the implications of what Diana was saying. "Does that mean that you would lose your powers? That you couldn't be Wonder Woman anymore?"

Diana shook her head. "Thankfully, no; my abilities are a gift from the Gods, given when my mother breathed life into me. They'll be with me until the day that I die... A concept that I'm not sure that my mother will be willing to embrace."

"Ohhh..." Barbara said again, wondering if she was in over her head; this was getting much heavier than she'd bargained for. _'Figures... Super heroes, super problems...'_ She thought to herself. "Well, for what it's worth, I think that you should just tell her. I'm sure that she'll understand that you have to go your own way." In truth, she knew no such thing, but could tell that the Amazon Princess could use the support.

"You think so?" Diana said distractedly. "You know... I agree." She said with a final tone, making up her mind at last. "She'll find out soon enough anyway, and it had best come from me. So it's settled. I'll leave now. Thanks, Barbara."

"Don't mention it..." Barbara said, hoping that she wasn't steering her friend down the wrong path.

* * *

><p>Diana could have used the autopilot feature on her jet to take her directly to Themyscira, but she preferred to pilot the plane herself. Flying came naturally to her, and she found that it could take her mind off her troubles. However, it didn't stop the nervous turning of her stomach as she approached the island that had been her home so many years ago. She nervously surveyed the shores of the island. She'd sent word ahead that she'd be arriving, and sure enough, she spotted the Amazon Queen waiting for her; a solitary white dot on the vast golden sands.<p>

Diana touched the plane down neatly on the shore, but didn't move immediately. She took her time undoing her safety belt, putting off the inevitable as long as she could. Finally, she could stall no longer. She opened the hatch and walked down the ramp to greet her mother.

"Diana!" Hippolyta exclaimed, reaching out to embrace her daughter. "I was surprised to hear from you on such short notice. Are you alright?"

"Yes, Mother." Diana said, knowing that if she delayed any longer, she might not be able to work up the courage. "I'm better than alright. I'm getting married."

Whatever Hippolyta had been expecting to hear, that clearly wasn't it. She let go of Diana and stepped back in surprise. "What?"

"Next week." Diana reaffirmed.

"Are you aware of what this means, Diana?" Diana could tell that her mother was trying to hide it, but she could still sense a hint of betrayal in her voice. Sadness cut into Diana like a blade.

"I am. And I'm prepared to accept that." Diana hung her head, unable to look at her mother any longer. "I just... Thought that you should know."

Diana jumped in surprise when her mother wrapped her arms around her once again. "It's alright, Diana." Hippolyta said, patting Diana on the back gently. "I understand. But I'd like to meet him."

Diana blinked in surprise. "Now? Here?"

"At your earliest convenience."

"But Mother, men aren't allowed here!"

"A rule that's been broken plenty of times as of late; once more won't hurt. At least this time it will be broken with my permission." She smiled slightly at Diana, who excused herself to make the call.

"Bruce. Where are you?" She said into her comms link.

"I'm trying to gather intel. What is it?"

Diana decided to cut to the chase. "My Mother would like to speak to you."

She could practically hear him freeze up over the link. He paused for a moment before speaking. "You know I'm not allowed there."

"Mother's agreed to make an exception, so you'd best show up."

Thankfully, over the years Diana had known Bruce, she'd gotten much better at getting him to do what she wanted. He protested for a short while, but eventually relented. Diana returned to where her mother waited. "He'll be here soon."

"Good..." Hippolyta looked mournfully at the sea. "I should have foreseen this a long time ago..." She said sadly. "I should have foreseen that this island was too small for you, and that you'd leave in time." She wiped a tear from her eye. "And I suppose that the same is true for this world."

Diana felt her throat close up so tightly that she couldn't speak. It bothered her to hear her mother saying such things, but she knew that she needed to express herself, so she let her continue.

"You can do great things, Diana. You've been gifted with a powerful body and a loving heart. All that I can do now is trust you to use those gifts as best you know how. I've watched you grow so much over so many years. Now it's it's time for you to make your own way."

Diana simply nodded; her mother's acceptance of her choices meant more than she knew how to express with words. Suddenly, an enormous, black shadow appeared on the horizon. Diana could just make out the distinctive bat-wings of Bruce's jet. The Batwing hovered a great distance above them; Diana saw a small patch of light appear on the ship's underside. Batman jumped out of the hatch in midair, opening his cape to catch the wind. He glided down to Earth, landing in a neat crouch several yards away with his back to Diana and Hippolyta.

"He's very... Dramatic, isn't he?" Hippolyta said, sounding slightly startled by his alarming appearance.

"We're working on that." Diana said, hoping that Bruce would behave for once.

Batman stood and drew his cape around himself, completely hiding his body. He didn't speak, but silently approached Hippolyta, somehow managing to not leave a single footprint in the sand.

Realizing that it would be up to her to bridge the gap, Diana began to make introductions. "You remember my Mother, I'm sure... Mother, this is Ba-... This is Bruce."

For a moment, the Dark Knight and the Amazon Queen surveyed each other rather intensely, causing Diana to wonder if she'd miscalculated. Finally, Hippolyta extended a hand. Batman cautiously reached out to shake it, sinking into a slight bow.

"My daughter is fond of you."

"I know." Batman said. "She's not very subtle."

"No." Hippolyta agreed. "Subtlety has never been one of Diana's strengths. You, on the other hand, seem to have mastered the art."

"I just flew to this island in a jet shaped like a giant bat."

Hippolyta laughed slightly. "And yet, you possess something of an aura of mystery... Not unlike a man that I once fell in love with myself."

"Mother!" Diana exclaimed, noticing Hippolyta's allusion to her affair with Hades, the Lord of the Underworld. "Bruce is nothing like him!"

"Of course not." Hippolyta said, but her eyes still had a rather suspicious look in them which softened after a long, hard stare. "I apologize... I trust my daughter's judgement. She mentioned that you plan to marry?"

"Yes."

"And you're aware of what this means for her?"

"More or less."

"Then you understand why I would like to attend the ceremony."

Batman was taken aback, but wasn't about to let her see his surprise. "Yes."

"Mother?" Diana asked uncertainly. "You're leaving the island?"

"Diana, I'm sure you know that there are things in this world that are far more important than arbitrary rules and guidelines."

"But Mother, you know that to break those laws is to risk the wrath of the Gods!"

"And I'll do just that for my only daughter." Hippolyta said firmly, as Batman stepped away to give the two women some privacy. "I am a mother first, and a queen second. Unless _you_ have some reason to not want me there?"

"Not at all."

"Then it's settled. From what I can see, he's a good man... And from what you've told me, he makes up for what he lacks in conversational skill with courage and valor in battle. I wish the best of luck to both of you. Now, go with my blessing."

Diana hugged her mother one more time before turning away. She grabbed Batman's wrist, pulling him behind her onto her jet. Hippolyta watched as her daughter's plane flew off, followed by the Batwing. She continued to stare until they were just a tiny dot on the horizon, at which point she turned and began the long trek back to her palace, her heart heavy with the grief of a mother who knows that she's destined to outlive her only child.

Author's Note: Damn, I bummed myself out with this... So how about some good news? I've got a bit of a small creative team going. So welcome aboard to YourAngelicVampyre, who's kindly offered to review my notes and has already offered some great ideas that should improve the overall quality of the story. She'll be credited more prominently if I can rework the summary to be short enough to accommodate, but until then, chapterly mentions in the author's notes are the best that I can do.

Anyway, things should be looking up from this point on- for a little bit anyway. This was a little bit of a dark chapter, but I think that it was necessary.

Only 3AM and already posting? Fells good, man.

Also, Fleetwood Mac references everywhere! Only one was intentional, but still.


	3. It's too late, Ready or not at all

**Author's Note:** More exposition. Oh joy. For those of you who've been loving the fluff so far, enjoy it while it lasts, because it won't last long. Not long at all.

I put a bit of thought into the characterization for this chapter, and decided to try something a little different. Hope it doesn't bug anybody too much.

* * *

><p>Clark Kent pulled into the lot of the chapel in his jalopy. It was a small building with a modest exterior, but he couldn't help but admire its stoic charm. He stepped out of the car and swiftly walked to the other side to help his passenger exit the vehicle.<p>

"You know, Clark, I honestly don't see why you need this piece of garbage in the first place. With your salary, you could at least afford something that runs all the time," said Lois Lane, rolling her stunning blue eyes. Despite her slight irritation, her eyes were gleaming vivaciously. Lois happened to be Clark's bride of nearly a year.

"Lois, you know this was my first car! I could never throw it away!" Clark exclaimed, as if he was appalled at the single thought.

"Clark, honey, you can fly. You don't need a car in the first place," Lois said with an amused grin. "Plus, I still can't understand why you insisted on driving this heap of crap all the way from Smallville. It's a miracle that we made it here in the first place."

"Bruce said that he has a good mechanic who can fix her up pretty well. Besides, I thought we'd enjoy the scenic route."

"Some things never... Oh, wow..." Lois cut herself off as they opened the door, revealing the breathtaking sights within the diminutive building. Together, the couple stepped into the threshold of the church, thoroughly amazed.

"Wow is right..." Clark said in astonishment.

The inside of the building couldn't have been a sharper contrast to the outside. Ornate ice sculptures that must have taken ages to create were lined up against the walls. All of the tables were draped in a pristine white cloth that seemed to have the ability to sparkle in the light that managed to seep through the windows. A beautiful assortment of flowers were delicately placed within clear vases in the middle of the tables, emanating an aura of peace and happiness. The room wasn't crowded, considering the amount of people one would expect to see at such a prestigious ceremony. On the contrary, there couldn't have been more than two dozen people milling around the room. Clark quickly scanned the room for familiar faces. He spotted a little old woman talking to a black man with graying hair, an attractive woman with a short black pixie cut who seemed to be eying the decorations with a mischievous glint in her piercing green eyes, a man with ginger hair who was so unbelievably nondescript that he somehow managed to stand out from the crowd, and finally a very distinctive set of wings. He edged his way through the crowd (which wasn't particularly arduous, given his enormous stature) to greet John Stewart (Green Lantern), Shayera Hol (the former Hawkgirl), and Wally West (Flash).

"Where is he?" Clark whispered to John while Lois animatedly chatted with Shayera and Wally.

"In there," John replied, gesturing at a door with his thumb. "I'd be careful, though, if I were you. He's a bit... off his game today."

"It can't be that bad, can it?" Clark asked. "I mean... He's Batman, right?"

John shrugged. "See for yourself, man. Dick's with him now. Just don't say that I didn't warn you."

Clark nodded and approached the door. As soon as he opened the door, he instantly knew what John had been talking about. Bruce Wayne was slumped in a small wooden chair in the center of the room, looking like it was his last day on Earth. Standing next to him and rubbing his shoulder comfortingly was Dick Grayson, Bruce's protege who had spent the last several years fighting crime off on his own as the vigilante Nightwing. Dick shook his head sadly as Clark entered. He stood up and walked out of the room, giving Bruce and Clark a moment of privacy. "Good luck," he muttered as he passed. "I think you're going to need it."

"Bruce?" Clark said uncertainly, approaching his friend. "Are you feeling alright?" There was no response. "Bruce? Hello?" Still no answer. Clark sighed, "Only you could be this miserable on your wedding day... Come on, if there was ever a time to lighten up..."

"I can't do this," Bruce finally said. His voice sounded hoarse and croaky as though he hadn't used it in a quite some time.

"Come on, we've been over this. Things will be fine. It's not that big of a deal; it just makes things official. It's been nearly a year since Lois and I got hitched and we barely notice it. If I can do it, then so can you," he finished, trying to bolster Bruce's spirits by stroking his ego. Unfortunately, Bruce saw through the attempt and sent one of his infamous Batglares towards Clark.

"If that were true, I'd be able to go jump off of Wayne Tower right now... an idea that's sounding better and better with each passing moment. I should've broken this off months ago," Bruce sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Bruce, you and I both know that that's not true," Clark said sternly. "You two make a good team. Besides, it's way too late now. I'm not saying that you would, but if you leave Diana at the altar today, some poor priest will have to spend the next few weeks cleaning bat-guts out of his church. I hate to break it to you, but you're locked in. So why don't you stop being a martyr for once and enjoy it? You don't have to outwardly enjoy it, you know. Just don't fight it. You've got nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about." Bruce stared in amazement at Clark's ignorance. "I'm about to make Satan my father in law." He groaned quietly. "This is ridiculous, and it's not going to end well for anybody. I shouldn't be doing this."

Clark was about to argue when he heard an alert from the tiny communicator that he always kept in his ear. "Alright, Bruce, just try to relax for a bit. I'll be back in time, I just need to deal with something."

"Alright, let's go," Bruce said, standing up and unbuttoning his tuxedo.

"Bruce, you're not... You're wearing the suit. Of course... Wearing the Batsuit to your wedding. Only you, Bruce."

"It's a lightweight fabric to fit underneath clothing," Bruce said, any trace of his nerves quickly disappearing. "That doesn't matter. Where's the situation? Alfred and Diana confis... took my communicator and Barbara's jamming my signals."

"You," Clark began, forcefully pushing Bruce back into the chair, "are not coming. It's a small situation, no big deal. You're needed here. You're going to stay and enjoy yourself, even if it kills you. Understand?"

Bruce glowered for a moment before reverting to his original position with his head in his hands. Clark left him to ponder his thoughts, hoping that his friend would come around eventually, and wondering why Commissioner Gordon would need to see Batman in broad daylight...

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> This one'll be continued directly as soon as I find the time between homework assignments. My bet would be either tomorrow night or Thursday morning. Then again, my time frames could be a bit different from now on because- get this- BETA READERS. That's right, I'm swallowing my pride. Again, I'm not too particular about who I share my notes with, so if you want to offer input or insight, just say the word.

Scratch anything that I said about timeframes. Nothing is concrete anymore, so I guess it's pointless. Stuff'll get done eventually.

Betas for this Chapter:

YourAngelicVampyre

xWonderxWomanx


	4. You can't always get what you want

Author's Note: Sorry about the delay on this one, but it's been a bit off a crazy week (we've had two snowstorms this year- one in October, and one in March. This friggin' state...). As I work out better systems for contacting editors, things should get smoother.

* * *

><p>Clark hurried out to his car to change, leaving Bruce to his thoughts, who happened to have enough on his mind. Once Clark was sure that he was safely out of view, he pulled off his tuxedo, revealing the Superman uniform that he always wore underneath his civilian apparel. He carefully folded the tux and placed it neatly underneath the driver's seat of his car. Then, the superhero quickly took off for the Gotham City Police Station.<p>

He instantly spotted what he was looking for on the rooftop. Facing away from him was a tall man with graying hair. Superman could see a thin trail of smoke billowing into the air from the cigarette that the man was smoking. The well known superhero lightly touched down on the roof.

"Commissioner?"

"It's about time you - What the hell are you doing here?" Commissioner Gordon whirled around in obvious surprise. "Where's Batman?"

"He's taking the day off," Superman hastily replied. He instantly regretted his word choice as Gordon's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Funny... I've never known him to take a day off. You would tell me if something was wrong, right?"

"He's fine, just feeling a bit... run down." Superman had always felt that honesty was always the best policy.

Gordon relaxed slightly. "I guess I can't really blame him... I mean, I'd take the day off if I could," the police commissioner let out a heavy sigh. "Which brings me to the reason why I called you here. We just got word from Arkham Asylum. The Joker's on the loose."

"Again?" Superman groaned. Encounters with the Joker were never fun. He'd never truly gone head to head with the Joker, but still found that he was pretty unsettling all the same. "Hm... Well, he's nothing we haven't handled before. Thank you for telling me, Commissioner; the Justice League will get it taken care of as soon as possible."

"Slow down, slow down... There's more. This wasn't just another one of his escapes. He usually goes out of his way to make a fanfare when he escapes. Not this time. He was there last night, gone by morning."

Superman froze in place and his mind began racing with possibilities. "Alright... You have my undivided attention."

"The asylum went on lock-down when some of the guards were reported missing. The bodies were found at the bottom of the Gotham River this morning. Those particular guards were supposed to have been making rounds that would have included regular checks on Joker. They've been dead for twelve hours, but someone punched in using their IDs and access cards. To top it all off, the security cameras have been looping all night long. We don't even have footage of him escaping. The trail's gone cold; he's like a ghost. Someone must have deep hooks in the system to put all that in place," Commissioner Gordon heaved out a frustrated sigh.

"I'll get some people on it immediately," Superman responded, rubbing his cleanly shaven chin while he was deep in thought.

"Please, and do it fast. Everything's going to hit the fan when the media gets a hold on this one," Gordon massaged his temples in an exhausted manner. "To think he'd been in there for more than two years already... To be honest, I was hoping that we'd heard the last from him... I'll tell ya, this is an absolute nightmare. While I'm here dealing with all this, you know where my daughter is? Bruce Wayne's wedding."

"Oh... Yeah?" Superman mumbled, feeling a prickle in the back of his neck that signaled he was becoming uncomfortable.

"Yeah, she's seeing his adopted son... Ah, what I wouldn't give to be rich and not have to deal with these psychos..." Gordon spat his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. "Well, I'd better get back down, I'm going to have to call a press conference and tell everybody that we bungled it again... I hope you have better luck."

"I give you my word that we'll do everything that we can."

Gordon nodded and made his way back down the stairs and into the building, where reporters would soon be lining up with a myriad of questions about how the police had managed to let the Joker escape once again. Superman flew off as fast as he could, secretly thinking that Bruce would have taken the Commissioner up on his offer to switch places.

* * *

><p>Back at the chapel, Bruce was experiencing a sensation that he hadn't felt in years; he was beginning to tremble with anxiety. As Dick adjusted his bow tie, Bruce couldn't help but feel as though he were lining up a noose around his neck.<p>

"C'mon, old man, llighten up!" Dick said cheerfully as they watched the guests take their seats through the small gap of the slightly ajar doorway. There couldn't have been more than twenty people, but the sight still sent shivers down Bruce's spine.

"Oh, come on..." Dick frowned. "You're about to get married to Wonder Woman! I swear, do you realize how many people would kill to be in your spot right now?"

"Shut up," Bruce growled out of the corner of his mouth, his eyes still fixed on the crowd.

"Sorry."

'This is a huge mistake... It was a moment of weakness and now I'm... here. _'It's not too late, though,'_ Bruce thought, _'I could leave right now...'_

"Alright, it's all taken care of," Clark said, entering the room with John, Wally, Tim Drake, and J'onn J'onnz. "All set?" He clapped Bruce on the shoulder. Bruce continued to stare at the carpeted flooring. The bridesmaids were assembling at the front of the church. The group of bridesmaids consisted of Shayera, Zatanna, and Barbara Gordon.

Clark led the group out into the main room. Dick hung back to give his adoptive father a stern look before taking his place in the front as the best man.

Bruce felt as if the seconds stretched into hours. _'I could make a distraction... disappear,'_ he thought frantically. _'Diana would kill me...'_ He felt his legs begin to carry him forward. _'I'd have vanish completely... I have contacts in Russia; I could lie low for a few years...'_ He came to an abrupt stop in front of the altar, so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice music swelling around him until Dick nudged him. Bruce looked up suddenly and felt his mouth open slightly. Diana was approaching the altar, a brilliant smile on her face, her eyes radiating immense happiness, with her mother by her side (Alfred had originally been slated to walk her down the aisle, but had graciously stepped aside when Hippolyta had expressed a desire to participate in the ceremony). She was wearing the same plain white gown as her bridesmaids, but the simplicity of the dress only served to highlight her natural beauty. Diana gave Bruce a shy smile as she approached the altar next to him.

An enormous internal struggle erupted within Bruce's mind, drowning out the minister's speech, as though his doubts and rationalizations were battling for control of his actions.

_'I can't back out now, she'd be crushed...'_

_'It's for her own good. I've been here before, and it never ends well...'_

_'She can handle herself; she's tough.'_

_'I don't deserve this...'_

_'I've spent my whole life fighting injustice...'_

_'And what do I have to show for it? I haven't even been able to fix one damn city. I don't deserve this until I've saved Gotham...'_

_'Making myself miserable won't do spit for Gotham...'_

_'It won't hurt; it gives me motivation.'_

_'There are other motivations...'_

Suddenly, there was complete silence. Bruce felt the eyes of everyone in the Church resting on him expectantly. Steeling himself, he swallowed and said two words that he'd never expected himself to say:

"I do."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Hm. That's something.<p>

Betas for this chapter:

YourAngelicVampyre


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